Means for use in practicing the game of golf



A rils, 1924. 1,489,250

W. HOPWOOD MEANS FOR USE IN PRACTICING THE GAME OFGOLF Filed April 16.. 1923 Patented Apr. 8, 1924;.

S T 3. T E s WILLIAM HOPWOOID, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MIEANS FOR USE IN PRAOTIGING THE GAME OF GOLF. 7

Application filed April 16, 1923. Serial No. 632,521.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Horwoon. a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland,- and resident of 199 Deansgate, .Tanchester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improved Means for Use in Practicing the Game of Golf, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide convenient means which can be utilized in practicing the game of golf and which will serve to indicate the accuracy of the strokes of the player. I

Referring to the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a plan. showing one convenient arrangement of golf practicing apparatus in accordance with my invention.

The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same or similar parts.

As shown in the drawings, at Figures 1 and 2, T erect a screen a preferably of netlike form, and at the centre thereof, or at any suitable position thereon, I provide a gap 6 behind which, and at a suitable distance therefrom, is supportedL a board or structure forming a deflector 0 set at an angle to the direction (indicated by the arrow at Figure 2) from which the ball is being played so that the said ball after striking the deflector is directed to one side he hind the net or screen a and delivered towards a putting green or its equivalent. The deflector is faced or formed of suitable material to absorb some of the energy in the ball and to divert the latter an amount depending upon the angle of incidence of the ball thereon. Preferably, the deflector comprises a frame member enclosing a fabric or other centre which may be kept taut by a rack and pinion or screw device. The complete deflector is set and supported at the desired inclination to the screen a in any convenient manner; the supports are not shown in the drawing.

It will be seen that with the arrange ment before described, the direction and the velocity of the ball leaving the rebounding board or deflector depend upon the direction of flight and the speed of travel of'the ball after being hit by the player. The game can, however, be played in a relatively confined area and gives scope for testing both the driving and putting powers of the player. Several of the devices, each with its putting green, may be provided to give the equivalent of acourse of several holes.

I may vary the angle of the rebound board or deflector to suit any particular requirements.

I claim A golf practicing evice comprising a substantially vertical screen adapted to be set upon a supporting surface and having a substantially centrally disposed aperture permitting the passage of a golf ball therethrough, and a plane deflecting net of larger size than the aperture arranged directly behind the latter and set at such an angle as to deflect any ball passing through the aperture to one side of the screen.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM HOPWOOD. 

